


Born to Make History

by sanctum_c



Series: Clerith Month 2017 [26]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clerith Month, Clerith Month 2017, Coaching, F/M, Free Skate (Figure Skating), Ice Skating, No Dialogue, Not Advent Children (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Before Crisis (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Compliant, Not Crisis Core (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Dirge of Cerberus (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Final Fantasy VII Remake Compliant, POV Tifa Lockhart, Skating, Teaching, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28858995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Life seemed to pass in a rush all of a sudden. So much was changing and an overly large aspect of those changes was outright implausible, although not - strictly speaking - actively impossible. Some of it had to be a dream - right? Like, there could be no way that Aeris Gainsborough - the Aeris Gainsborough; world-class figure skater, Tifa's personal idol, the woman who inspired her to take up figure-skating in the first place; there was no way that Aeris Gainsborough could be possibly in her family's hot springs.Tifa's personal idol unexpectedly appears to train her; but complicating matters is her would be-rival - Cloud.
Series: Clerith Month 2017 [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009509
Kudos: 1





	Born to Make History

**Author's Note:**

> Written (slightly inexplicably) for the prompt 'Ice Skating'

Life seemed to pass in a rush all of a sudden. So much was changing and an overly large aspect of those changes was outright implausible, although not - strictly speaking - actively impossible. Some of it had to be a dream - right? Like, there could be no way that Aeris Gainsborough - the Aeris Gainsborough; world-class figure skater, Tifa's personal idol, the woman who inspired her to take up figure-skating in the first place; there was no way that Aeris Gainsborough could be possibly in her family's hot springs. Reality seemed to disagree, because there she was; extremely naked and extremely unconcerned about Tifa's abrupt intrusion into the bath upon her realisation of the identity of the unexpected visitor. Aeris rose from the water and Tifa pinched herself. Ow. Okay. This apparently was reality. Her and her - naked - idol. Who was eager to talk to her. Maybe this was a hallucination?

But despite Tifa's confidence that something must be interfering with how she was perceiving the world; whether dreaming, drunk or someone had drugged her somewhere along the line, the presence of Aeris in the inn did not seem to be ending and she seemed pulse-quickeningly solid. Time passed and Aeris remained, getting comfortable in her room despite filling it near to overflowing with crates of her belongings. This could not last long, but Tifa was in no mood to see it end anytime soon.

Aeris was here to see Tifa. Okay. Even to accept that Aeris could be here - in Kalm of all places - reality must be buckling again because Aeris's stated reasons for coming here did not completely make sense. Aeris said - and Tifa got her to repeat her speech verbatim - she wanted to become Tifa's manager for the up and coming Grand Prix. Tifa pinched herself again. It still hurt. Maybe one more to check. Yep. Pain.

So. Her wildest and least plausible dreams were somehow coming true - in a manner of speaking anyway. Those dreams - well, day-dreams - tended to have the air of late-night wandering thoughts, or a brief consideration in the shower (and the thoughts made Tifa's cheeks blaze with heat). None of her safer imaginings had ever concerned coaching but why quibble on that aspect of the present? Tifa was back in the game and now had the absurd resource of the best skater in the world.

Tifa's expectations for the future before Aeris's arrival was slipping into some other role or career, nothing she cared about too much - maybe bar-tending. Certainly after her previous terrible performance it made sense to retire and move onto to something else and never dwell on what had happened. She still planned to watch Aeris's performances naturally, still dream and fantasize about being with her. And perhaps in a fever dream, something like the present could play out, but she would never kid herself it would or could happen for real.

Now this was her reality. Aeris was utterly charming with everyone around her. Well, charming in some capacities, while a near-disaster in others - especially when she was off the ice and engaged in more delicate social issues. For all her grace, beauty and skill skating, she occasionally had some curious difficulties with the concepts such as clothes and personal space. Also focus and not being bluntly, ruthlessly honest about so many things. Plus she was a hard task-master. And that was not even taking into account those moments when she got so very close to Tifa, really astonishingly close, her hands cupping her cheeks-

Tifa skated into the side of the ice-rink, rebounded and her cheeks heated up. Somewhere behind her, Aeris tutted despite her amazing smile that made Tifa's legs feel weak- Tifa hastened to return to the right place in the routine. Focus. She had to get her head back together and continue the program and-

A door slammed distantly and stomping footsteps came closer. "Aeris!" roared a familiar yet - like Aeris - unexpected voice. Cloud Strife, Aeris's protégé and the current junior champion was also here it seemed. Nope, not happening. Not possible. This really was the longest, most detailed and elaborate dream ever. Tifa pinched herself again. Still painful. And now Cloud was here and alternately glaring at both her and Aeris. Tifa looked away from his scowling face; Aeris on the otherhand smiled and seemed unconcerned by both his appearance and his anger, greeting Cloud like his presence here was the most natural thing in the world.

And from there came the odd competition between them to see which of them would gain Aeris as their manager, trainer and choreographer. If Cloud won, Aeris was going back to Wutai with him. If Tifa won; Aeris would stay here and continue coaching her. Could she possibly win this? Maybe not. But assuming this was reality (another pinch. Ow. Was she dreaming pain somehow?), she was not going down without a fight.


End file.
